For RSF to change the standards it applies to Ukraine, as it apparently has, because the country has been invaded is to endorse the idea that freedom of the press ought to be limited in times of danger-an odd position, to say the least, for a group dedicated to protecting the rights of journalists to take. To say that such restrictions are typical, however, does not mean that they are therefore not really happening. Wartime measures in any country often result in a loss of press freedom.

This despite wartime measures that banned opposition parties, consolidated media under state control, and saw journalists’ speech chilled by unprecedented intimidation. In the most recent report, issued after over a year of war, Ukraine shot to 79th out of 180, with a new score of 61.19. In 2022, RSF gave Ukraine a score of 55.76 out of 100, placing it 106th out of 180 countries surveyed. France-based press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières, or RSF) recently released its scores and rankings for international press freedom.

Congressional watchdog groups